Ela teliyalerO
Sahityam
Pallavi
Ela¹ teliya lErO pUrva² karmam-
ElAguna jEsirO rAmayya
Show Word Meanings
ElAguna jEsirO rAmayya
O Lord Rama! Why did they not understand You? How did they perform earlier actions (that they could not understand You)?
Anupallavi
bAla zazAGka kalAlaGkRta³ nuta
nIla varNa suguNAlaya nI mahimal(Ela)
Show Word Meanings
nIla varNa suguNAlaya nI mahimal(Ela)
O Lord praised by Lord Siva – one who is adorned with the digit of the young moon – the hare marked! O (Dark) blue hued! O Abode of virtues! O Lord Rama! Why did they not understand Your greatness?
Charanams Combined
bAla tanamuna zUla dharuni
vizAla dhanuvunu lIlagA bhU-
pAlakulu kana kEla viraci
kuzAlugA zrInElina ninn(Ela)
Show Word Meanings
vizAla dhanuvunu lIlagA bhU-
pAlakulu kana kEla viraci
kuzAlugA zrInElina ninn(Ela)
O Lord Rama! Why did they not understand You who, in His youth itself, as the kings – Lords of the Earth - watched, by breaking sportingly by His hands the huge bow of Lord Siva – one who wields of trident - happily became the consort of Sita?
nAlugoka padi vEla kaJcu
rathAla sura ripu mUla balamula
lIlagAn⁴oka kOlanEsi
kAla yama puri pAlu jEsina ninn(Ela)
Show Word Meanings
rathAla sura ripu mUla balamula
lIlagAn⁴oka kOlanEsi
kAla yama puri pAlu jEsina ninn(Ela)
O Lord Rama! Why did they not understand You, who sportingly dispatched to the abode of the Lord Death – the controller of time – the fourteen – four and a ten - thousand (warriors in) bronze chariots and the core strengths of Ravana – the enemy of celestials, by shooting just a single arrow?
rAja zEkharuniyI jagatilO
rAjasambuna⁵ pUja sEyu
rAjulanu gaja rAjulaku mRga
rAja tyAgarAja nuta ninn(Ela)
Show Word Meanings
rAjasambuna⁵ pUja sEyu
rAjulanu gaja rAjulaku mRga
rAja tyAgarAja nuta ninn(Ela)
O Lion – king of animals – to those king elephants called kings – who in this World, endowed with passion, worship Lord Siva – one who wears the (digit) of the moon on the head! O Lord praised by this Tyagaraja! O Lord Rama! why did they not understand You?
Renditions
Variations
References
- 3 kalA – a digit is equivalent to 1/16th portion of anything, especially, moon.
Commentary
- 1 Ela teliya lErO – ‘why did they not understand’ – In the Kriti ‘ramA ramaNa bhAramA’ – rAga vasanta bhairavi , Sri Tyagaraja states – ‘marmamerigi nammukona lEraNTi dharmAdi mOkSa varamulosaGgi bhakta varula kAcina kIrti viNTi ’ - I heard about your fame, of protecting the great devotees, by conferring on them that kind of boons (which are otherwise attainable only as a result of the objects of human pursuit - Purushartha) of righteous conduct etc (dharma, artha, kAma ) and also emancipation; people in the Earth would not believe such acts (excepting by) knowing the secrets (of Your true nature).
- Even Sri Rama denies existence of any such special powers with him – please refer to Srimad-Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, Chapter 117 - ‘Sita’s fire ordeal’ –